Machine for making master-sheets.



P. J. MEAHL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING MASTER SHEETS. APPLICATION FILED JAN.24, 1913.

1,1 18,302. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P. J. MEAHL. MACHINE FOR MAKING MASTER SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1913. 1 1 1 8,302, Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

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P. J. MEAHL.

MACHINE FOR MAKING MASTER SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.24, 1913. 1,1 18,302.. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8 8 Q vw Ev a mv cn n mm m J SN QMNN Inventor:

4% Atty @lm 'ig PHILIP JACOB MEAHL, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING MASTEESHEETS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 24, 1913. Serial No. 743,957.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PHILIP Jason MEAHL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Summit, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Master-Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines for making master sheets, such as are used subsequently. for making perforated music sheets, in quantities, by means of perforating machines.

The object of my invention is to prov de a new and improved machine of this kind which is simple in construction, strong and durable, absolutely reliable in operation and which makes an exact perforated'transcript of the note selected by the operator and of its time value and pitch corresponding to the sounds to be produced and which n1achine permits of readily correcting any errors that might have been made while making the master sheet.

In the accompanying drawings in which like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures: Figure 1 is an elevation of my new and improved machine for making master sheets, parts being broken away and others omitted. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the perforating and feeding mechanism, parts being in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vertical longitudinal sectional view longitudinally of a key, showing the key and the valves operated thereby. Fig. 4 is a face view of the dial and pointer. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the same. Fig. 7 is a face view of part of the mastersheet in which the perforations are to be cut. Fig. 8 is a side view, parts being in section of the piano part of the instrument, showing the foot lever in section. Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse sectional view of one of the valve mechanisms beneath the keys which are used for controlling a pneumatic which moves the aper. Fig. 10 is a side view, with parts 1n section, of a modified paper feeding mechanism.

The paper 1, in which the slots are to be cut to produce the master sheet, forms a roll 2, the shaft 3 of which is mounted in standards 4 and in the same standards an additional roll 5 is mounted on which the com-.

pleted master sheet 6 is wound. The paper as shown in Fig. 7, is provided along each' side edge with rack openings 7, which can engage teeth 8 on the rims of toothed wheels 9 on the ends of two drums 10 and 11 over which drums the paper is passed, so that as one of the drums is rotated step by step, it draws the paper forward a distance corresponding to one tooth 8 for each step in the feed movement. Between the drums 10 and 11 the paper 1 passes over a die plate 12, through the die openings of which a series of vertically movable punches 13 can be forced, there being one punch for each note. For example if the master sheet is to be produced for 88 note perforated music sheets there will be 88 punches. The punches are guided in a punch guide 14 so as to move vertically and each punch is pivotally connected at its upper end with a separate pivoted lever 15, each of which at its free end is held in raised position by a spring 16, suitably attached to a frame 17. The free end of each lever 15 is connected b a wire or rod 18 with a pneumatic 19, said pneumatics being arranged in several tiers as shown in Fig. 1 and all these pneumatics are connected with a wind-chest 20 from which the air is exhausted through a tube 21. into the wind-chest 22 connected with anexhaust bellows 23, which in turn is connected by a link 24 with the drive wheel 25 operated by a suitable motor 25, for example, an electric motor. Each pneumatic 19 has a control valve chest of any approved c0nstruc- Patented Nov. 24., 1914..

tion and this is connected by a separate tube 26 with a passage 27 of substantially L-shape and formed in a rail 28 on the underside of the keybed 28 The inner end of said passage 27 is in the under surface of the rail 28 and can be closed by adownwardly swinging flat valve 29, hinged to the rail 28, said valve 29 resting in a recess formed in the upper surface of a lever 30 also pivoted to the rail 28 to swing downward and which lever 30 can be forced down by a pin 31 resting upon it, said pin being provided at its upper end with a head, which rests against the underside of a key 32. When a key 32 is depressed, the corresponding lever 30 is forced down as far as the headed stop 33 permits, that is, to a distance corresponding to the average downward movement of a piano key, in playing. A spring 34 bears against the underside of the lever 30 and holds the same up against the rail 28 at the same time holding the valve 29 in closed position. From the valve 29 a pin 85 projects loosely through the corresponding lever 30 and some distance below'the underside of the lever this pin terminates in a head 36, between which and the underside of the lever 30 a helical spring 37 surrounds the pin 35. For each valve 29 and lever 30, a lever 37 is pivoted at 39 and its front end terminates in an upwardly projecting prong 40 which passes through a hole 41 in the corresponding lever 30 so as to .be a short distance below the underside of the valve 29 when the latter is raised as shown in Fig. 3. A helical spring 41 is attached to the bed 28 and to the rear end of the lever 38.

Each lever 38 is connected by a spring 42 and a rod or wire 43 with a bar 44 extending the length of the piano in front of the lower part of the same, which bar 44 is provided with end arms 45 pivoted at 46. At the front of the piano and center of the bar 44 a pedal arm 47 projects from said bar 44 and can be depressed by the operator at suitable intervals for a purpose that will appear' hereinafter. At one end of the piano, preferably the left hand end, the bar 44 is connected with a rod 48 terminating at its upper end in a head 49, which is normally a short distance above one end of a lever 50 pivoted at 51 to the'rail 28 the opposite end of the lever 50 bearing on a toe at the rear end of a valve 52 pivoted at 53 to the underside of the rail 28 and serving to close one end of a U-shaped passage 54 in said rail 28, the opposite end of said U-shaped passage being connected with a tube 55 for a purpose that will be explained hereinafter. On one end of the drum 11 a ratchet wheel 56 is secured so that as the ratchet wheel is turned one direction or the other the drum 11 will be turned correspondingly and thus the paper 1 or its continuation, the perforated master sheet 6, will be shifted in one direction or the other.

A lever 57 is pivotally mounted on the shaft of the drumll and at its free end is connected with a spring 58, which is attached to the frame 59 of the machine and the free end of this lever 57 is also connected by a rod 60 with a pneumatic 61 connected with a windchest 62, which in turn is connected by a tube 63 with the windchest 22 so that the air is constantly exhausted from this wind-chest 62. A valve chest 64 for the pneumatic 61 is connected with the previously mentioned tube 55 so that every time the pedal bar 44 is depressed by the operator the valve-52 is opened and by the air passing through the tube the valve of the pneumatic 61 is operated and said pneumatic is collapsed thereby swinging the free end of the lever 57 downward. A spring-pressed pawl 65 pivoted on the lever. 57 engages the ratchet wheel 56 and turns said ratchet wheel and with it the drum 11,-a predetermined distance every time the pneumatic 61 is exhausted, and then the spring 58 brings the lever back to normal position again.

The ratchet. wheel 56 is normally locked by ratchet wheel 56. For this purpose an arm 69 is pivoted to the lever 57 and extends upward and is provided at its free upper end with a head 70 against the underside of which one end of the lever 67 normally rests. This arm 69 is pressed by a spring 71 against the end of the lever 67 so as to keep the lever 67 and head 70 engaged. The arm 69 has an inclined cam 72 which normally rests against the inclined ledge 73. When the free end of the lever 57 is pulled downward the spur end of the lever 67' is raised, permitting the pawl 65 to turn the ratchet wheel 56, but as the free end of the lever 57 moves downward the action of the beveled ledge 73 on the cam 72 throws the headed end of the arm 69 to the right whereby the lever 67 'is released and swings down to lock the ratchet wheel 56. As the lever 57 swings upward under action of the spring 58 the head 70 on the arm 69 passes over the end of the locking lever 67 and the parts again come into the position shown in Fig. 2. A second lever 74 is also pivoted on the shaft of the drum 11 and on said lever 74 a pawl 75 ispivoted which has an upward extension 76 terminating in a hook head. 77 resting upon one end of alever 78 pivoted at 79 and having its other end beneath the free end of the lever 67 so that when the lever 74 is swung down the spur 66 is lifted out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 56 by the action of the latter on the lever 67. The extension 76 of the pawl 75 is provided with two opposite cam lugs 80 and 81 on its opposite edges. The cam lug 80 rests upon a cam lever 82 pivoted at 83 to the frame of the machine and having; its swinging end connected by a rod 84 with part of the pawl 65 above the fulcrum or pivot of the latter. The cam lug 81 can engage a fixed cam- 85. The'free end of the lever 74 is connected by a wire 86 with two bellows 87 and 88 of which the bellows 87 has a stroke about one half inch and the bellows 88 a stroke of about one inch. The lever 7 4 is normally held in raised position by a'spring 89 attached to the lever and to part of the frame of the machine. The bellows 87 and 88 are connected by tubes 89 and 90 respectively, with two push buttons 91 and 92 in the key-slip of the piano.

In the modified construction shown in.

Fig. 10 the lever 78 is dispensed with and the lockinglever 67 is raised by a link 93 having. a slot 9et'through which a pin 95 passes into the locking lever 67 the lower end of said link being pivoted to the lever 74 at apoint beyond the shaft of the drum 11 or ratchet wheel 56 so that when the outer end of the lever 74 is pulled dowmthe locking lever 67 is raised. Likewise the pawl lever 75 has but a single cam surface .80 and slides on a fixed cam piece 82. The lower end of the pawl lever 75 is connected by a link 96 to the lower end of the pawl lever 65 which is provided with a knuckle joint 97. The shaft of the drum 11 is coupled with a shaft 100 parallel with the piano 101 or like instrument and this shaft carries at its free end a miter gear 102 which engages a miter gear 103 on a short shaft 104 on the standard 103 at the front of the piano above the key-board. At the front of the standard 105 a disk 106 is mounted loosely on the shaft 104 and this disk is provided with teeth on its rim which mesh with those of asmaller wheel 111, with handle 113 for turning and on its face the disk 106 bears two dials. In the embodiment shown sixty-four dial divisions are provided on the larger. A friction spring 107 serves to engage the teeth and hold the disk temporarily in place. The inner circle of sub-divisions are for a purpose that will be set forth hereinafter. In the central opening of the disk 106, the tubular arbor or spring neck of a pointer 108 is mounted friction-tight inabout the same manner as the hands of a clock are mounted. Normally this pointer '108 is carried' by thedisk 106 but can be set back or adjusted by hand. A. pointer 109 is fixed on the end of the shaft 101 and provided at its lower end With a. handle" 'knob'l10.

The operation'is substantially as follows-. The disk l06 is so adjusted that its zero? is at the top and the pointer 109 is in vertical position. The operator or person making the stencil depresses those keys of the piano corresponding to the first notes to be cut and after they have been out he depresses the keys for the, following notes, and so on. So as to simplify thisdescniip tion, I will assume that the operator epresses but a single key at a time. When a key is depressed the corresponding pin 31 presses down the corresponding lever 30 and by the action of this lever on the spring 37, resting on the head 38 of the correspond ing pin 35, connected with the corresponding valve 29, this valve is opened and thus air is admitted to the corresponding channel a 27 and conducted to the valve of the corresponding pneumatic 19, which is thus col lapsed and forces the correspondingtp unch 13 through the paper producing a 's1ngle punch hole. The operator then depresses" the pedal 47 whereby all the levers 38 are swung upward at their forwardends with out any effect on any of the valves 29 with the exception of the one that has been lowered in the manner described and thereby this valve is closed, the corresponding pneumatic 19 is restored normally and the punch raised. At the same time the valve is opened, Fig. 9, but as there is some lost motion between the head 49 of the wire or-rod vlS and the lever 50, this valve 52 is only opened after the punch 13 has been raised. By the openin of the valve 52 the pneumatic 61 1s collapsed and swings down the lever 57 whereby the ratchet wheel 56 is released and turned in. the direction from left to right, Fig. 2, a distance of one tooth corresponding to the s ace of one step of a measure. As soon as t e foot lever or pedal -17 is released the levers, 38 are pulled upward by theirsprings 41 at their outer ends whereby the prongs -10 are moved downward and immediatel the valve 29 pertaining to that key which remains depressed is opened again by the action of the spring 37 on the pin 35 of the valve and another punch hole is made on the step previously advanced, then the foot pedal is again'depressed and so on, in the inanner described as long as the corresponding key remains depressed. For each downward movement of the lever 57 the paper is fed forward .one'step. A definite number of such steps. or distance, making a measure. The "number of steps in a measure is determined by the time of the composition, also itsch'uact er, i. (1., Whether odd or even, quick or s ow, also a definite minimum distance for bridge between repeat notes. Thus a slot of greater or less length is produced according tothe time that the key remains depressed.v 'Of ,course the depression of the key alone do'esnot produce a slot as to produce a slot it is necessary that. the foot pedal 17 must be operated after each downward movement of the )1111Cl1. The paper must also'be fed forward during the time that the spaces between the successive slots in the longitudinal lines of the note sheet are produced, that is, the so-called bridges. When a brid e is to be produced, that is, when an imper orate part of the paper is to remain between the ends of two successive slots on the same longitudinal line of the master sheet, the finger is taken off the key corresponding to said longitudinal line, but the pedal lever 17 is operated once for each step of said bridge. Therefore for each (i l-step measure the operator must operate the foot pedal -17 sixtyfour times so as to feed the paper forward. As long as he does'not depress the keys no perforations are made in the paper, but whenever one or more keys are depressed, slots corres ending to the length of the time that the eys remain depressed are cut in the paper for making the master sheet. Every time the foot lever is f as man ste s as is desired in the len th complete rotation and then by means of the.

toothed wheel 111 the disk is adjusted so that its zero will be to the right of the pointer in normal position, a distance equal to the number of subdivisions to be added and then the above described operations are repeated until the pointer is again at zero. Then before making the next measure the disk and pointer are brought back to normal position. The supplemental pointer 108 is to be adjusted manually to show the number of the measure and moves entirely independently of the feed mechanism.

In case corrections are to be made the sheet can be moved backward and for this purpose the button 91 is depressed thus causing the operation of valves which in turn cause the exhaustion of the pneumatic 7 8 which is connected with an exhaust chamber. Thereby the lever 74 is swung backward a short distance. This causes the lifting of the locking lever 67 and by the action of the cam lug 80 on the cam lever 82 the rod 84 ulls the upper end of the pawl 65 to the le t whereby the pawl 65 is disengaged from the ratchet wheel 56. The pawl 75 also remains disengaged from the ratchet wheel 56. The-ratchet wheel 56 and thedruni 11 are thus entirely free and can be turned in one direction or the other by manipulating the pointer 109 as the motion is transmitted from this pointer through the miter gearing 102 and 103 and the shaft 100 to the said drum. The pointer 109 always shows to what extent the paper is shifted forward or backward, the number on the dial always indicating the step of the meas ure coinciding with the die-center. The

- bellowsrelating to the ratchet wheel 56 remain in this position as long as the button 91 is kept depressed. If the button 92 is depressed the bellows 88 is exhausted and the lever 74 is swung down farther. and by the action of the fixed cam 85 on the cam pro jection 81 the pawl 7 5 is connected with the ratchet wheel56 and turns it one tooth in the reverse direction from the normal direction and thus by depressingthe button 92 successively a greater or less number of times the paper can be moved in reverse direction step by step.

The device shown in Fig. 10 operates ii a similar manner.

said block, substantially as set forth.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a master sheet making machine, the combination with a series of unches and keys controlling the operation t ereof selectively of means for positively feeding a strip of paper, which means are operable independent of the punch operating means, said paper feeding means comprising mech- 75 anism for shifting the paper in either direction at will a greater or less distance and means for shifting the paper in either direction at will any distance in a series of steps, substantially as set forth.

2. In a master sheet making machine, thecombination with piano keys and paper perforating mechanisms, of means for controlling the perforating mechanisms by the keys,

'a wheel having teeth adapted to engage 85 apertures in a sheet to feed said sheet lengthwise,. and means independent of the perforating mechanism for operating the paper moving mechanism step by step, substantially as set forth.

' 3. In amaster sheet making machine, the combination with a series of perforating punches and a pneumatic motor for each for operating it, a control valve for each pneumatie punch operating motor, a manual means for each valve foropening the same and a means for closing all open'valves at the same time, substantially as set forth.

4;. In a master sheet making machine, the combination with a series of perforating punches. and a pneumatic motor for each for operating it, .of a control valve for each punch operating pneumatic motor, a manual means for each control valve for opening the same and holding the same in open position and a means for temporarily closing said valve independent of the means for holding it in open position, substantially as set forth..

5. In a master sheet making machine, the

punches and alp neumatic motor for each for operating it, of a control valve for each pneumatic punch operating motor, a pivoted block beneath the valve, means for transmitting motion from said block to the valve, manual means for depressingthe' block, and means for bringing the valve into closed position' independent of the position of the 6. In a master sheet making niachine, the combinatibn with a series of perforating punches and. a pneumatic motor for each for operatingit, of a valve controllingthe punch operatin pneumatic, means for normally holding t e valve in closed position, a block, means for manually operating said block, means for automatically-unseatmg.the valve from said block, means for olosing the valve against the action of the valve opening means controlled by said block, Substantially asset forth.

7. In a master sheet making machine, the combination with a piano and n perforating machine comprising paper punches, pneunmtic means for operating the punches, a drum controlling the movements of the sheet of paper means for controlling the punch operating pneumatics from said piano, av pointer at the front of the piano, a rotzitii'e disk behind said pointer and a motion transmitting means extending from said pointer to the drum oontrollin the movement of the paper in the perforating machine, substantin-11y as set forth.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New York this 23rd day of Januar A. D. 1913. K

P IILIP JACOB MEAHL;

Witnesses:

M. E. MCNINGH,

i. G. Bnnnn. 

